EU investigating alleged Kosovo mass grave fire

EU investigating alleged Kosovo mass grave fire

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The European Union mission in Kosovo says a fire severely damaged an alleged mass grave believed to contain the bodies of Serb civilians killed during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

An EU forensics official, Alan Robinson, said today that the fire is “a significant setback” in efforts to assess if the mining complex site contains bodies of Serb victims and that excavations have been put on hold. The mission is investigating the cause.

Robinson says in a statement that authorities fought a 12-meter (40-foot) wall of flames for over 7 hours Monday before subduing the fire. High temperatures have fanned several fires in Kosovo since last week.

About 1,800 people went missing during the war that left some 10,000 dead.